Edward: Before Bella
by leiahlaloa
Summary: This is a chance to see Edward through the eyes of Esme, Alice and Rosalie. Part two features Edward's side of the story.
1. Part One

**A/N- My apologies for such a long writing hiatus. This story, in fact, doesn't mean I'm back to writing technically. While the rest of you are enjoying holiday bliss, I'm trying to get all of my college affairs in order. I graduate in May… and I need to make sure all bases are covered. **

**But, because of a request for some "edward before bella" character clarification, this little piece was born. Enjoy. **

One evening I found myself in the company of Esme, Rosalie and Alice. For once, Alice wasn't trying to maul me with curlers or cover my face in makeup. Esme had sent the men off on a hunt, claiming the need for a girls' night. Rosalie had even given me a few quick, secretive smiles.

I would have been worried, but Edward's countenance had been so reassuring. Actually, besides Jasper's furtive glances at me, it looked as if they were all very comfortable with whatever arrangement had been made. That didn't change the fact that I didn't know what was going on.

When I imagined a girls' night, I imagined women in funny pajamas, wearing green goopy face masks and playing truth or dare. Of course, this band of women didn't really buy into sleep wear, nor did they need the cleansing treatment a face mask could offer. I didn't completely rule out the truth or dare, though.

"Alice, are they far enough away?" Esme asked, as we lounged comfortably in the large open living area in the downstairs of the house.

"Yes," Alice nodded, "They'll be to the designated hunting area in just a few minutes."

"Good." Esme smiled cheerfully over at me, "Bella, I would like for you to think of this as your—well… I call it your wedding shower, but I'm sure there will be one of those for your….human family and friends, if I know Alice."

"Yep," Alice smiled evilly. I cast a wary glance in her direction. Wedding shower… ugh. Just another chance for me to be placed in the lime light.

"The reason why Edward agreed so readily about this is mainly because he is desirous that you know every piece of him possible before you're married and… everything that comes after that," Esme explained, wincing slightly, "Sometimes, he can't give you a clear picture of himself. He understands that we may see or have seen things about him that aren't as easily picked out by someone so close, as you are to him. Our gift of sorts, to you, is that this is a night that we'll answer any question you may have about him within the realm of our own scope."

"We know that you know him— you probably know him better than we do some days." Alice smiled, "But we've all known him longer and it may help you out in the long run."

"So ask us anything," Rosalie smiled genuinely, apparently surrendering to the fact that I would be part of the family, whether she was against it or not.

"I—" I was unsure of what to ask. I was completely unprepared. Most of the time if I had a question, I wasn't hesitant to just blurt it out.

"It's important to him that you have this chance." Esme smiled. And all of the sudden I did have a question.

"Why? It's not like I'm going to back out." I frowned, filled with disdain over the idea that this might be a last ditch effort on Edward's part to scare me away—at least from becoming a vampire. That was probably why Rosalie was being so compliant.

"Bella," Alice rolled her eyes, "Edward isn't trying to get you to leave or to change your mind about becoming part of the family. He's far past that. He just—I think he's feeling more and more human every day he spends with you and this is one of those—human things. He wants you to know as much about him as possible, before you get married. That's what it comes down to."

"Oh." I was again silent. I still wasn't sure what I would need to know other than what I already did.

Edward was… Edward. He was this being that walked into my life and took my breath away. Figuratively and literally. His Victorian era manners and slightly crooked smile were only two of my favorite things about him.

But I suddenly felt uncertain. I never asked many questions about his life before me. I knew he had two medical degrees and he could play the piano like an angel, but those were two of the few things I did know.

"Bella?" Esme's cold hand on mine pulled me back into the present, "We can do this another time, if you'd like. When you've had time to think about it."

"No." I shook my head, "Now's good. I just—have to think of all the things that I've wanted to ask and never gotten the chance or the idea that it was any of my business."

"Why not let us start then?" Rosalie interjected, "We could begin with our first impression of Edward."

"That's a very good place to start," Alice giggled involuntarily, "Especially since your first impression is one so vile."

Without consent, Rosalie began.

"You know a little about what I told you from before. When I was sharing my story with you that night. And yes, I think my very first impression of him was when the pain was bearable enough to understand what Carlisle, Esme and Edward were saying. You know I thought he was arrogant then. He still is sometimes.

"But I want to share with you a little about the days after. When I was… haunting Royce and his friends," Rosalie's words were a melodious snarl, "Even though Edward was seemingly unhappy about Carlisle's choice to add me to the family, he helped me locate all of them. That's actually how we found Royce. He even told me how to kill them without shedding any blood. When I asked him why he would help me, he explained about the time he had spent away from Carlisle and Esme. All the vicious minds he'd encountered. The thoughts of others that plagued him and the wonder at how they could be so cruel.

"He must have investigated. Gone and searched their minds. He insisted there was no hope for them. He might have done it himself, if I hadn't been so vehement about it." Rosalie shrugged, "My first impression was that even if Edward was a little overbearing sometimes, and opinionated for that matter, he was a true gentleman who abhorred cruelty towards women."

"He was sorry that he couldn't save Rosalie himself," Esme sighed, "The night that Carlisle found her, Edward had begun muttering about how he'd stopped his human hunting a little too early. How he could have possibly saved her."

"But he never hunted in Rochester," Rosalie smiled painfully, "So it never would have been."

"My first impression of Edward is quite a bit different." Esme's voice held a little pride, not allowing me to dwell on what Rosalie had just told me, "Edward stayed away during my transformation. That much I remember. But the first thing I heard when I began to regain bits and piece of consciousness was his skill at the piano. He and Carlisle lived in a big farmhouse on the outskirts of town and Edward's rooms were just above where I'd been staying.

"As I lay there, the fire finally leaving my body, I called out hearing the music and knowing it couldn't be a Victrola player. This beautiful young man was at the foot of the bed in a flash. He looked so frightened and confused that I almost tried to comfort him, but his expression shifted quickly, readily answering questions that I had not voiced yet.

"He was very polite and introduced himself immediately as Carlisle's son. He told me that the doctor had been called away into town that day. He kept me company until Carlisle came back. He left only when Carlisle was ready to tell me about my transformation. I often forget about that time, because when Carlisle came into the room, I immediately remembered him and was captivated." Esme smiled at the memory.

"Edward's playing had been for me. He knew what I was going through and he knew any distraction was welcome. What he'd been playing—the song when I first became coherent—is my favorite even today.

"In the days after my transformation, Edward was a constant presence helping me to cope with my circumstances. He explained that he could hear every thought of mine and that's how he answered my questions and thoughts before I'd voiced them. He was very sweet." Esme smiled, happy to give me such a positive story, it seemed.

"You know much of my story, as well, Bella," Alice smiled, "Jasper and I joined up and went on a search to find them. My first encounter with Edward was kind of comedic. As soon as I had come into the realm of Edward's mind reading abilities, he was curious as to why I was thinking about him and his family. He didn't tell any of the others and struck out to find me. I was so excited to finally see a face that I knew was my future that I pounced on him the moment that he came within my vision.

"It's a good thing we were all in the woods, otherwise, we might have caused quite a scene. Edward threw me about half a mile across the woods and demanded that we tell him why I knew him, when he didn't know me. He was so funny." Alice's giggle reverberated off the walls of the large room, "And Jasper had almost had a conniption and would have tackled Edward, had I not been laughing so hard.

"I had already predicted this meeting, when Edward caught my thoughts and started his search for us. So it hadn't been a surprise to me. I knew he was just trying to protect his family from danger. I thought it was very sweet. Jasper took hold of the situation by then and calmed us all down. And the rest, as they say, is history." Alice shrugged.

They were all silent after that, watching me.

"It's so much to take in." I finally sighed, "I mean, I've never heard those stories, mostly because Edward doesn't think they're his to share."

"Edward's mind reading keeps him from sharing some of those stories," Esme shrugged, "You know already that he thinks that he knows too much about us. But his mind reading makes him extra sensitive to all of us. I'm not sure he wasn't like that before he was turned. It's probably what makes him such a gentleman where it is appropriate."

I nibbled on my lip for a moment. Of course, I knew most of this already. That he was a gentleman. And that he was thoughtful and protective. I'd seen all of that before in his actions towards me. But…

"After you all were together. After Alice and Jasper joined the family…" I paused, wondering if I really wanted to know.

"Out with it Bella," Alice mock scowled, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Alright, fine. I just wanted to know… what Edward was like before me. If he was different?" I thought for a moment, "I mean, I guess I knew already—that he was different. Some of you have mentioned it. He even mentioned it, I think. I just—I can't help but wonder what he was like."

"I don't know if I can describe it." Alice admitted, "We've all been together for fifty years and… I'm just not sure."

"Let me see if I can put it in words," Esme smiled, "Life—er—existence for Edward was something he had accepted. There was no reason for him to try to end his life. By the time I had met him, he had accepted it, probably because his mother had wished him to survive. But he was not looking for a companion of the female persuasion. Carlisle had been the companion Edward had needed. I almost wondered if it wasn't because he was so young.

"Even in my time, men did not search for mates until they were established in a trade or a business. That meant they were usually in their twenties when they started wanting a family. Edward—" Esme shrugged, "Well… he is seventeen, even if he is one hundred. He may want you as a wife, Bella, because he loves you but before you he wasn't searching for a companion.

"This gave him the chance to do what seventeen year olds do, eternally. Search the world for a purpose. He has excelled in the medical field. He has a deep love for music. He has an interest in histories of all kinds. He found that out in the last ninety years or so." Esme sighed, "His life was fulfilling for him. But he's always been a quiet soul. The tortured artist at times."

Esme seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and memories, trying to paint an accurate picture. Alice took this chance to give me further insight.

"Bella, think back to that day you first came to Forks High," her smile was amused, "Think back to lunch that day, when you were sitting with Jessica's group."

"You mean the day that Edward was practically giving himself a headache trying to read my thoughts?" I giggled, remembering that day and how befuddled I was when I had realized the drive behind his first exasperated expressions.

"YES! I _love_ that you _know_ exactly what he was trying to do." Alice let out a peel of laughter, "Well, despite the fact that he looked so young, he was actually older brother trying to protect younger siblings. That's who Edward was. The lookout. He made sure that no newcomers were going to bring any… advanced intelligence to unveil our secrets. Those first days when he came back from Alaska he was practically obsessed with trying to figure out why he couldn't read your mind."

"He did that everywhere?" I asked.

"Yes." Rosalie nodded, "He was always afraid one of us was going to slip up and someone was going to guess. He was a bit more paranoid as television shows began portraying vampires more and more commonly. He used to watch every show that even had mention of vampires, always cataloguing actions that gave away those creatures that were supposed to be like us. He convinced Carlisle that we all needed to fade out of the human scene when Buffy the Vampire Slayer first came on."

"You can't be serious," I laughed trying to picture Edward convincing Carlisle of his suspicions.

"He's not that neurotic, actually," Esme piped in, "It was a good move in the end. Carlisle traveled back there just a year later for a consultation and one of his colleagues mentioned it in passing. Something about Dr. Wexford's daughter calling us all vampires. Carlisle finished his business in a timely matter and returned to us, commenting on how Edward had been right, if not about the show, then definitely about the move."

"Esme is right, though," Rosalie nodded, "Edward was definitely one of those quiet, contemplative people who never said much. It drove me crazy in the beginning, because the silence was sometimes deafening. Carlisle and Esme were together much of the time, which left Edward and me to our own devices. I was still getting accustomed to the idea of being what we are. And Edward said little, but to correct a thought of mine every once in a while. He was—is such a smart-aleck sometimes."

"What I remember the most about the difference, though," Alice interjected, "Was that he was so docile and reclusive. He would spend hours and hours in his room listening to music and reading. Wherever we were. Of course, we had good conversations, too. Intelligent. He hunted alone mostly, though. Or with Carlisle. He didn't have to get to know us, because he knew our minds already."

"Have they utterly confused you about me yet?" Edward's melodious voice echoed around the room, startling me. He was leaning in the front doorway, arms casually crossed. An amused expression graced his face.

"You haven't given us much of a chance, Edward, dear." Esme laughed.

"Maybe I changed my mind." he pushed away from the doorjamb and casually walked to the couches we were lounging on, "I'd rather Bella just ask me the questions. I don't know what stories you've told her. She probably doesn't want to marry me now."

"One little hour session could not undue all the mushy feelings Bella has for you, brother dear." Alice rolled her eyes, "I would have known if Bella had changed her mind."

"You're crashing my wedding shower," I tried to scowl in his direction. I knew it wouldn't last long. His face entranced me into smiling dumbly, no matter what.

"Emmett was getting on my nerves." Edward almost whined.

"OH! I just remembered something else." Alice perked up, "Edward is _moody_. Oh wait… you did know that already, didn't you?" Her smile was positively evil.

"Ok, wedding shower over. Poisoning Bella's mind with false images of me was not part of the deal," Edward reached over the couch and threw me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"EDWARD!" I shouted, but was laughing anyways as he ran out the door and into the woods.

Pretty soon I was being dumped carefully onto a grassy knoll, Edward's face suddenly inches from mine.

"Now… I'll tell you what I was really like before you." His voice held a smile as he looked up into the cloudy night sky.

**A/N- There's a second part… soon to come. Hopefully I'll fix it up tomorrow, since I don't have many plans. Look for it in the next few days, I would guess. **


	2. Part Two

**A/N- Alright… here's part two… as promised. Enjoy.**

**Also, I don't own Twilight… or any of the other parts of the series. Just in case you didn't know… lol.**

Edward stretched out beside me, his face thoughtfully upturned towards the sky.

"I was a monster." The words were so simply said. As if he was telling me what his favorite toy had been when he was a child.

Several minutes passed. I waited for him to say more. I waited for him to give me a big confession about his few years as a murderous drifter. I waited for him to say something, but it seemed he was finished.

"Edward, you were not a monster." I ground out, flipping over so I could give him a fierce look. "You were saving innocents and keeping others from—from—"

"From living the rest of their lives." Edward's face was grave as he stared back at me.

"No. You kept them from being a menace to society. You kept them from destroying other people." I insisted.

"I was making a choice that I hadn't been given to make." Edward shook his head, "I was playing God, Bella. It's—horrible." His eyes closed against my scrutiny.

"That was three or four years out of a hundred," I scowled, "And I wasn't asking them about what you were like then. I can pretty much imagine what you were like. I do still remember our first meeting."

I winced as soon as I said it. I had promised myself that I would try to _never_ bring that up, if it was within my power. But I had.

I suddenly found myself locked within Edward's steel embrace. His lips crashed down on mine, giving me little chance to even breathe. I was so surprised, my body responded when my mind didn't.

When Edward finally broke the kiss, I was gasping for air and trying to unknot my fingers from his hair. His cool cheek rested against mine, so I couldn't see his expression. I imagined torturous looks from the past and I felt guilt wash over me once again.

"I wish that I could wash that memory from your mind, sometimes," his voice had a sorrowful quality to it as he whispered in my ear, "And then sometimes, I find it's best that you remember. Maybe if it won't scare you away, it'll help you control yourself—once you…" He didn't finish his sentence. I understood. He meant once I was changed.

"I wish that I hadn't mentioned it at all." I sighed, resting my hands on his shoulders.

Silence hung over us, as we held each other.

"So, ready to go home?" Edward's voice was almost normal. I frowned.

"No." I pushed until he let me sit up, allowing a stubborn tone to enter my voice, "We can't just run away from stuff because it's painful or unpleasant to talk about. You still haven't told me your side of the story. I KNOW what you were like those few dark years. You've all but acted it out for me in detail. I want to know what you were like before me. Before you knew me. Esme, Alice and Rosalie were doing a pretty good job until you butted in."

"They were telling you what they could see and what they'd encountered. But I'm the only one who can tell you what I was thinking and feeling," Edward retorted.

"So, tell me." My tone softened as I looked into his indignant face. No matter that there was a petulant pout gracing his lips. He was still the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes on. I don't know if I'll ever get over it.

Edward took a deep breath, as if he was readying himself for a huge argument, instead of a story telling, but then he began speaking, his melodic voice filling the air around us.

"The first few days after I'd changed are all but forgotten to me. I was consumed by the—the unconditional _need_ to feed. I was later thankful that Carlisle had immediately moved me out into the country, away from most human contact. In the weeks and months after my change I was an absolute teenager. I stormed around, feeding only when Carlisle insisted. Or when I couldn't bear the hunger any longer.

"Two things kept me from storming out of the house and mauling an entire village. Carlisle reminded me constantly that my mother had wanted me to live on and I knew that my mother would not approve of any massacre that I might incur. The second thing was that I recognized Carlisle's loneliness. In his mind he delighted in my presence. For some reason, I couldn't make myself leave. That was before he made it such a diligent practice to school his thoughts around me."

Edward's mouth bowed up into a small smile, obviously taking pleasure in those first times with Carlisle. He might have been remembering a specific incident, with such a secretive grin.

"While Carlisle worked as the doctor in a local village, I was left to my own devices. That is when I discovered the piano that had been left by the last residents of our house. Music had been an interest to me when I was human. I had been sent to piano lessons for most of my boyhood, but I remember never being very good at it. Mostly because I didn't practice. But I had an infinite amount of time, and little to do since I had no companion but Carlisle. I began teaching myself how to play again and then realized how much my speed gave me an advantage. Most of my first year was spent diverting myself with that. Carlisle was glad to see me find something to pour my energy into.

"Then a few years later Carlisle and Esme got together. You know that story, since Esme told it to you tonight. I had been terrified when Carlisle brought her in. I was so used to it just being Carlisle and me that for the first day and a half I was so angry. I locked myself in my rooms, composing angry fugues so Carlisle would know just how unhappy I was about the intruder.

"He was such a cheater though. He used my mind reading abilities to his advantage and explained everything over and over again in his mind. How much better it would be for me since I would have another person with me while he was in his office. How hurt Esme had been. How she would have died. Just like me."

Edward's face had transformed in the time he began recalling his past. Gone was the hard tumultuous expression. It had been replaced by a face reliving memories that seemed fond to him. I don't know what had possessed him to start at the beginning, but I was learning so much, so quickly, that I wanted him to continue. I had to remember to keep myself focused on his words and not get caught up in his expressions, because I would miss entire parts of the story if I didn't pay attention.

"I was so young then. So young. I imagine that I had been doted upon by my parents and then I'd had Carlisle's full attention for so long that I had known nothing else. After Esme joined the family, I truly began to grow out of my teenagedom. She encouraged me to read books and to write. Once Rosalie was strong enough to go out into crowds of humans, Esme urged us both to enroll in school. She wanted us to learn as much as we could. I found that I was interested in all sorts of subjects. I frequently participated in music programs when I attended college the first time."

"Wait," I interjected when he paused. His faraway look disappeared as he gazed at me, fixing an intent look upon his face, "You're telling me about your life. I know the storyline of your life. I want to know what you were LIKE. How was that first year with Esme? Were there times that you felt like she was an intruder? And Rosalie—what did you think when you finally realized that Carlisle had the idea to think you would be a good match? How was your first experience at college? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Were you the weird one who sat in the back of the classroom hoping not to be noticed? Or were you always participative? What about--"

"Bella!" Edward interrupted, smiling crookedly at me, "I get it. I get lost in the history sometimes. I will backtrack. Esme was—well she was graceful about her change. That made everything a lot easier. Right off she wanted to know everything about us. Of course, that's how she fell in love with Carlisle. But with me, she was always supportive and that drew me to her. I couldn't be angry for much longer because she was so caring and interested in our lives.

"She also got us both caught up in decorating the house," he scrunched his nose in disdain, "Our house had been pretty bare, and then she started asking Carlisle for bolts of fabric and a sewing machine. She found her distraction in making curtains and reupholstering the furniture. Somehow she got both of us interested in it—in making it a home. She really blossomed under that."

He paused in though and then grimaced, "I was… very unhappy about Rose. She was so vain. She stood hours upon hours in the beginning staring at her reflection. Other than helping her with her revenge, I didn't want anything to do with her. I actually ignored her presence for a few weeks. And it was then that I figured out Carlisle had first wanted Rosalie for me. That only made it worse. Esme let me throw my tantrum for a while and then she started giving me lectures about the importance of family and sticking together. If we were all going to feed from animals, we were going to need to support each other. Soon, Rosalie and I found a common ground when I unearthed this old Model T Ford that had been crashed on our property. We started learning how to restore it—she was actually better at it than me—and yes, it took me a long time to actually admit that."

"I wasn't going to say anything," I tried to feign innocence, "So, what about college?"

"We're going to be here all night." Edward sighed.

"I have all the time in the world." I leaned back luxuriously and smiled at him.

"Of course you do," he gave me sardonic smile, but continued, "In college I was in between being participative and non-communicative. I think it depended upon my mood and the subject of the course. In most science and history classes I participated, asking question upon question. Trying to understand cold fusion and the Punic wars. My professors either loved me or hated me because of all the questions I asked. The music professors were always delighted with me because of my piano abilities.

"Then I got accepted in the medical school. Much of my time was spent learning new practices and honing my abilities for Carlisle. That was when Rosalie attended with me and second year, we made it a game. Whoever could bring Carlisle the most up to date practices would get the most satisfaction." Edward laughed at the memory and then sobered quickly.

"It was only when Jasper, Alice and Emmett came on the scene that I began to become reclusive. I will admit I was a little hurt. Even though Rosalie had only been a sister to me, I was upset to lose a companion when she brought Emmett home. I wasn't nearly as childish as I had been about Carlisle's adding Esme to the family, but I was a little withdrawn during the time." He paused, gauging me with a speculative eye.

"Are you not tired of this yet?"

"No," I shook my head, "I don't know if I could ever get tired of it. You're giving me the reader's digest version of a very intriguing part of your life. I'm just soaking it all in."

"You're like a sponge. And I doubt that you'll forget any of this," his wry smile made me laugh.

"You've just—never wanted to talk about before." I sighed.

"That's because before you, my existence was just a string of events. It wasn't a life." He shrugged and launched back into his description, "Since Jasper and Alice joined the group I've spent much of my time focusing on my studies. It was in the sixties and the seventies that I learned most of the languages I know. We spent a lot of time out of the country then. It was kind of crazy here in the states during that era anyways. Carlisle became my constant companion because he was eager to use the languages he'd known for so long with someone else.

"When we came back into the country, I was intent upon going to medical school again. It really is harder to go back to college after a while. It's tough going to high school over and over again like we've done in the past twenty or so years, but those years in medical school were difficult. I can't say why. I guess it was largely because I'd been doing other types of study and a lot of the information was standard practice that I'd learned already.

"Once I got into the second year all the new procedures started to become more prominent. I had more new things to report to Carlisle. I packed in as many of the extra seminars as I possibly could. I was a model student. And when it came time for me to do my rotation, I was strong enough to actually do it, instead of having Carlisle do all my paperwork. I loved it. I could understand why Carlisle loved the ER so much. It was so fast paced and as long as I didn't breathe half the time, I felt like I was doing a great good. I almost went ahead into residency, but we'd decided to move again."

Edward propped his head on his hand and looked down at me, "I think that's the closest I've ever been to actually being anything but passive before I met you. I was always intent on being good at whatever I was doing at the time, but this was different. I felt like I was paying off debts when I was helping save humans' lives. It was exhilarating.

"Since then, I feel like I've just kind of been… existing again. I read a lot of current books and of course, since the invention of CDs and MP3s, I've been building my music collection to its latest size. It's taken me some time to find some of my favorite artists. I've had records for the most part. I know you can't remember this, but up until about fifteen years ago, they weren't all that obsolete." Edward smiled teasingly.

"No, Grandpa Edward, I don't think I even remember what a record is. You're so old." I made a ridiculous face at him.

"Respect your elders," he tried to sound authoritative, but just ended up smiling crookedly.

"Have I ever?" I asked.

"You do more than you think." Edward laughed, "So is there anything else? Other deep dark secrets about me that you want to hear?"

"Is it true that you threw Alice half a mile when you first met her?" I asked, laughingly.

"Yes," Edward nodded, seriously, "I was very suspicious of her and Jasper. We didn't know them, and yet, here they were, one of them having visions of us in her mind. You can never be too careful."

"But you knew they were vampires?" I asked.

"Of course. It's kind of hard to miss the ridiculously white pallor and the eyes." He shook his head.

"I think you've talked much more tonight that I ever thought was possible," I placed my hand gently on his cheek, "You never talk like this... So freely. Casually even."

"You're very easy to talk to," he grinned, making my heart flip.

"What about you? Were there times that it was more difficult for you to be around humans, than others? And your mind reading. You didn't talk a lot about that either."

"Well, as far as I can tell, the time I least wanted to drink anyone's blood was in the sixties and seventies. When we were here in America, the general population was buying into all the diet changes and they were beginning to smell all wrong. The ridiculous amounts of heroin in their blood stream didn't help either. Other than that, only just recently it's been difficult to be around _one_ human."

I rolled my eyes at his insinuation.

"As for the mind reading… it's always been a challenge that I've used to my advantage. Sometimes I've never wanted to know what people are thinking. Other times, I'm grateful for the gift. Unfortunately, I seem to have come to rely a little too much on it." His grimace made me smile.

"Can I help that you don't have access to my mind?" I laughed, "It's just as well. I would be no mystery to you, if you could read my mind, then where would we be?"

"Right here," Edward demonstrated the full meaning of his statement by sliding his arms around me again.

"You think so?" I sighed, "The first thoughts I had when you were around were pretty… unoriginal."

"Your scent still had me crazed though." Edward breathed in then, probably inhaling my personal perfume, "I would have been intrigued even if I'd known what you were thinking."

"I doubt that seriously." I giggled.

"Every human is captivated by us, Bella." He reminded me, standing up in one lithe motion, "It might have been unoriginal, but though I tire of hearing it, I would have taken it as a compliment from you. Now, are you done with this interrogation? I think that getting you home at a decent hour will win me points with Charlie."

"I don't think you could win points with Charlie," I shook my head and took his offered hand, "When you came with me to tell him about our engagement, he almost tried to bodily remove you from the house."

"He almost did. He pictured it several times and how vindicated he would feel, slamming the door shut on me." Edward linked his arm around my waist as we walked slowly back towards the house, "But then he thought better of it when he looked at you. He saw how happy you were and he even held his tongue for the most part."

"Well, at any rate, he'll be here to… walk me down the aisle," I grimaced. A bright smile lit Edward's face when I looked up at him.

"You'll be the most beautiful bride ever." He promised.

"Says you." I elbowed him in the ribs, but just came back with a dinged elbow.

"Bella, quit trying to break yourself," He warned, "That won't keep us from getting married."

And for some reason, I fell just a little more in love with Edward that night.

**A/N- Alright… tell me what you think. I had to get REALLY creative with this part… ******


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